First-Set Comeback Sparks Syracuse Victory Over Siena

Thursday, September 12

Loudonville, NY

5:30 p.m.

Syracuse University

7-0,0-0ACC

Siena

1-6,0-0MAAC

Syracuse

Siena

First-Set Comeback Sparks Syracuse Victory Over Siena

9/12/2024 9:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – A frantic opening-set comeback by the Syracuse University volleyball team (7-0) propelled the Orange to a victory at Siena on Thursday night in the opening match of the Siena Saints Invitational.

The Orange fell behind 11-1 in the opening stages of the first set before staging an impressive rally that included saving a set point. Syracuse then won the next two sets to improve to 7-0, matching the program's best start since the 2021 season.

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HOW IT HAPPENED
Siena won the first 10 points of the match and raced out to an 11-1 lead over the Orange. Syracuse began to chip away at the deficit before the Saints stretched the lead back to nine at 18-9. 'Cuse again reeled Siena back in and a Skylar George kill diminished the lead to just two at 21-19. After Siena won the next point on a block, Sara Wasiakowska responded with a kill before a Syracuse block two points later leveled the score at 22-22. The teams split the next two points before an Orange service error set up the Saints with a set point. Klara Zarnovicka erased the set point with a kill and then gave Syracuse its first lead of the set with another kill on the next point. On Syracuse's first set point attempt, Zarnovicka put down her third straight kill to seal the comeback and a 26-24 victory.

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The Orange built an early lead in the second set, but the Saints rallied to take a 9-8 advantage. With the score tied at 15-15, the Orange went on a 6-1 scoring run, with all six points coming via kills by George, Ava Palm and Anastasiia Nikolnikova, to go ahead 21-16. One more kill each by those three players coupled with a Siena service error secured a 25-22 second-set victory for Syracuse.

Syracuse went up by three points in the opening stages of the third set before the Saints cut the lead to just one at 9-8. George responded with two kills in the next three points before a block by Nikolnikova and Mira Ledermueller re-established a four-point 'Cuse lead. The Orange were up by as many as five in the frame and a final kill by Nikolnikova gave 'Cuse a 25-17 win to wrap up a straight-set victory.

NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

Skylar George led the Orange with a career-high 19 kills, which tied for the most by a Syracuse player in a match this season. George had 11 kills in the second set alone and hit .342 for the match. The redshirt freshman has now tallied double-digit kills in four straight matches and has hit over .300 in three of those performances.
For the first time this season, Klara Zarnovicka appeared in three sets during a match and made her time on the court count, as she posted 10 kills on 18 attacks, both of which were Syracuse career bests. She tallied three straight kills to close out the first set, the first of which saved a Siena set point, the second of which set up a Syracuse set point and the third of which clinched the first set for 'Cuse.
Both Veronica Sierzant (28) and Mira Ledermueller (13) reached double-digit assists on the night. Sierzant was the primary setter for the first two sets before Ledermueller saw the floor in the third. Sierzant now has more than 25 assists in all four of her appearances this season.
Anastasiia Nikolnikova put down seven kills on just 12 attempts to go along with a team-high five blocks. The junior has five blocks in three of her four appearances this season.
Ava Palm came just one kill short of extending her streak of matches with double-digit kills to seven. She finished with nine kills and added a pair of digs.
Greta Schlichter led the Orange with a season-best 13 digs. All 13 players that saw the court for 'Cuse recorded at least one dig.
As a team, Syracuse hit .320 for the match, marking the fifth time in seven contests this season the Orange have hit over .300.
The Orange topped the Saints in kills (51-31), assists (46-30) and digs (44-31).

UP NEXT
The Orange will face NJIT on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the second match of the Siena Saints Invitational. Syracuse defeated the Highlanders earlier this season at the Salt City Classic. Friday's contest will be streamed on Siena All-Access.

For the latest news on the Syracuse volleyball program, follow /CuseVB on Facebook, @CuseVB on Instagram, and @CuseVB on X/Twitter.